Maey phillips



. PHILLIPS.

(No Model.)

BUSTLE.-

Patented Aug. 11

WITNESS/ES:

N. PETERS v'fmmhagmpw. wall-imm D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEO MARY PHILLIPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO OHAS. O. CARPENTER,

OF SAME PLACE.

BUSTLE.

SPECEFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,338, dated August 11, 1885.

A Application tiled May 28, 1885. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARYv PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bustles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

vMy invention relates to bustles 5 and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specically pointed out in the claims.

To the ordinary bustle structure I adda brace, which, pressing against the person of the wearer at one extremity, is at the lother adjustably secured to the under face of the bustle to support the same. The bridge or brace is of text-ile fabric stuffed, and while it serves its functions as a brace to support the bustle plate or pad it is sufiiciently iiexible to yield to ordinary pressure or strain, as in sitting. A cushion is provided at the base of the brace, and the brace is supported on an apron, which is secured at or near the waistband. A tailing of this apron is adapted to be adjustably secured to the outer end of the bustle-plate, and a proper tension upon such railing serves to hold the plate in a graceful curve, as well as to hold the brace in a proper relative position to support the plate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which forni a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is atop plan view. Fig. 3 is a modification. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the bridge and apron.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an ordinary waistband, to which is secured a bustle plate or pad, B. This plate B is of textile fabric, stitched to form pockets, and the pockets filled with closely packed hair, wool ber, shreds, or other material, which, being packed and held in one direction, will exert a constant and continuous force to regain a normal posi- ,ends secured to the waistband.

tion. In Fig. 2 I show longitudinal pockets, while those of Fig. 3 are curved, with their These plates B may be open centrally, as shown in Fig. 3; or there may be ventilating-apertures formed between the pockets, as seen at b. The plates in their manufacture are so formed that they will naturally assume a concavo-convex form, and I arrange for modifying this form to suit by devices yet to be described.

C designates an apron secured to the waistband, or to the plate B near that band. It is of loose textile fabric, and may be thin or even of open-work. To it near its central portion is secured the bridge or brace D, which is also of fabric, formed into pockets and filled with Y springy material, as hair or the like. The brace D has an open center to secure free circulation of air. At the base of the bridge D is a soft cushion, E, which projects from the inner side of the apron, and is adapted to rest against the person of the wearer. This cushion E, not being designed to resist pressure in the sense that the plate and brace do, is loosely filled with curled hair, the only object in view being to provide an easy bearing for the bustle.

The cushion E may be a portion of the apron formed into a pocket, or it may be an addition or extension of the bridge, or it may be a separate structure secu red to the apron. 'Ihe outer end of the brace is provided with eyelets f, and a lacing-cord, F, serves through said eyelets and through eyelets f, formed in the central portion of the bustle-plate, to hold the said outer end of the brace approximately under the center of the plate to support the same.

By a proper adjustment of the lacing-cord F various angles may be given to the brace relatively to the plate.

The part of the apron C which lies between the waistband A and the base of the bridge D, I will for convenience designate by the letter C', in order to call attention to the part of said apron which extends below the base of the bridge or brace, and which I will call the tailing or tie G2. To the lower or outer end of this tie C2 is secured a lacing-cord, G, and this cord, operating through the eyelets g in the tie G2, and through eyelets g at or IOO near the free end of the bustleplate, serves an important function in this bustle.

It will be readily seen that it is important to hold the brace D at approximate right angles to the plane of the plate B in order to secure the full advantages which accrue to its employment; hence the plate B, serving as the spri11g-body of the bustle, will by its springpower exert a force upon the apron to hold both its parts C' and C2 at a tension which will insure the retention of the bridge in its proper relation to the plate B. The bustle may be made very light and at little expense. It can be readily adjusted to give greater or less swell. The bridge accommodates itself to pressure, as in sitting, and can be forced to lie nearly flat with the plate; but it will in any case resume its adjusted position as soon as the pressure is removed.

Strings, as M, secured to that part of the apron adjacent to the cushion E, serve as auxiliary ties to prevent the cushion from moving greatly upon the person.

In details of construction :modifications may be made within wide limits without departing from the princi ple or sacriiicing the advantages of my invention, the essential features of which are the spring-plate, the springbrace, and

their relative connections.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is l. In a bustle, the combination, with a exible springbody, B, of a brace secured to the under surface of said body, near the center, said brace being arranged to be adjusted at different angles with relation to the wearer and the body B, to vary the swell or contour of the body, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the plate B, apron C C2, and brace I), of the cushion E, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a bustle, the open brace D, formed of textile fabric made into pockets and stuiied with spring fiber, combined with and arranged to support a spring-body, and to be adjusted at different angles to vary the form or extent of swell, as set forth.

4. The open-work plate B, having eyelets f and open spring-brace D, having eyelets f, combined with the apron C G2, the cushion E, and lacingcords F G, as and for the purposes set forth,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I MARY PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

S. STEINHEIMER, J. B. Norms. 

